It may sound crazy, but I have yet to find a really good pasta spot in NJ. NYC, no problem, but I…read moredon't always want to cross the river. I think I finally found a spot where I can confidently get good pasta AND dessert. My partner and I stopped in this week, and we were immediately met with cool, industrial-style decor and a BOMB playlist. The staff was super friendly and helped a lot with specials and recommendations, as it was our first time. For drinks, we started with a Fig & Melon cocktail and their Old Fashioned. Both were great, but I think the old-fashioned wins over the Fig & Melon. It's smoky and sweet, while the F&M was citrusy and refreshing. To start, we ordered the Mozzarella Sticks Di Bar Mutz with Mutz Hot Honey & Sour Milk. Personally, I am tired of hot honey on everything, haha, so this wasn't for me. If they served it on the side first vs drizzled on top, I probably would have enjoyed it more, as the mozz sticks alone were delicious. The breading was more like a garlic bread than the traditional coating. It also comes with extra hot honey on the side. For our mains, we shared the Spicy Rig and Trottole. Again, both are really good, but the Trottole was the CLEAR winner. The short rib was rich, and the overall dish was perfect for the savory lover like me. The Spicy Rig was lighter, and the bite of pasta with basil was excellent. For dessert, we ordered the mile high espresso martini, affogato martini, which had ice cream they make in-house, and the Samoas cheesecake. Every single thing was delicious! It's a good problem to have when you're dining somewhere, and you're battling it out for who has the best dish. Can't wait to come back and bring friends!

Vibes? Good. Drinks? Ok…read more Food? I mean...I guess? It's different which IS great. Everything is expensive so I get it but it just didn't blow my bra onto the bathroom ceiling. 260 a couple and one wasn't drinking is reasonable If anything was wow...the best bite of the night was the 10.00 fresh table side bite of mozzarella...it's the one thing we've circled back to talking about over the evening. 26 of those bites would have been way cooler and delicious...which is a good idea for next time. Clams, tasty breadcrumbs. Couldn't find a clam...with both hands, it tasted good if not a little dry just didn't really get "clam" Mozzarella sticks....tasty breadcrumbs and hot honey. But no pull. Focaccia? Over well?? Dark on All sides and only ordered bc our entree was "saucy"...plot twist...it was not. Inventive with the sausage chicken cutlet but scarpiello is supposed to be spicy, sharp...this was roasted peppers on a sausage chicken cutlet with not a drop of sauce. (We shared this, decent serving but for the price you couldn't even garnish the plate?) Chicken scarpimellow maybe ? Cocktails? Tiny and just ok, nothing to write home about and a lot of "just bc you can doesn't mean you should" I want a cocktail with alcohol not molecular gastronomy in a shot glass. The espresso martini was very good, I will give them a 9 on that. The staff was the star, friendly attentive but I can't say knowledgeable because the focaccias sole purpose was for sauce that didn't exist and she didn't come back to ask so here we are with focaccia that came out before apps for an entree that didn't need it. The worst element was that at various points the restaurant was filled with an acrid smell of burning plastic or food or something and it was very off putting but it wasn't a delicious scent. Also, for the vibes and the cost the influencer in gym shorts really throws that whole mood yes society is more casual now but gym shorts aren't really appropriate at any restaurant with the same price point. I'd give it another shot in the future maybe just for cocktails and hand fed cheese.

The restaurant has a nice airy feel. Contemporary decor. I like the light fixtures. The food is…read moredelicious and comes out of the kitchen nicely timed. Our server even asked us if it was ok to start the dinners. Staff (including the General Manager) come around regularly to re-fill waters. Outside and bar seating available.

Very attentive and quick service. We tried a regular Manhattan and a glass of super Tuscan that…read morewere vothe great. For appetizer we tried the Pinsa with stracciatella, wow that was good. Finally we had the scallops and orrechiette. The scallops were fresh with a flavorful sauce. The orrechiette were al dente and also very flavorful. Warrants a return trip.

Rooted in Italian tradition but open to modern techniques and seasonal ingredients, it's a place…read morewhere one can go to celebrate a milestone or to have a nice meal out with your family, where we decided to have a celebratory dinner at this establishment. Located off a busy Kinderkamack Road in Oradell, Ora, meaning "now" or "right now" in Italian, has been on my list and was named Best Italian Restaurant in Bergen County in the 2025 Daily Voice Readers' Choice Awards. A reservation was easily made via Toast. Upon entering as first-timers, my partner and I were greeted by the host inside this multi-level space with the vibe of a modern farmhouse, featuring warm wood tones, exposed rafters, and chic finishes accented by soft mercury lighting. One can dine in the main room, al fresco on the outside patio, weather permitting, or at one of the many top tables at the bar. We were seated promptly at a cozy table ready inside the main dining room. Their menu features a well-executed spin on Italian cuisine. As a starter, we decided on the Basil Pesto Arancini to share. For the main meal, we opted for one of today's specials, 8oz Prime Spinalis accompanied by Mac & Cheese sans crab meat and Dayboat Sea Scallops. Even saved room for some dessert and decided on the Chocolate Tortino and Soft Serve Gelato Copette. Washed them down with Franganza Spritz. Complimentary housemade bread with whipped butter started our meal. Every dish had flair and stood up against the next. Presentations kept our eyes wide as everything arrived to the table, and even the more straightforward preparations had a little something special about them. Everything was delicious; we really don't think one could go wrong with anything on the menu. What truly elevated the night, though, was our server, Clark. He went above and beyond, attentive without being intrusive, genuinely kind, and clearly passionate about making sure we had the best experience possible. It made us feel so welcomed and taken care of. Can't wait to dine here again!

I dined at Ora with a large party for a special occasion. The ambiance was absolutely fabulous in…read morethis large two floor restaurant with various rooms split out for dinner dining and lounge and bar atmosphere. Unfortunately for us, some guests got lost on the way over and our party had to wait for all of us to be seated. Since our original tables had now been taken, we waited a while longer, and longer ... getting seated about an hour after our original reservation. We were promptly given menus but the waiter did not come back for quite some time to actually take our orders or serve us drinks, and I noted we finally had orders placed an unacceptable forty minutes after being seated (adding to the hour we wait to get seated). Appetizers were served first - before the complimentary table bread, which I found a bit odd? Between the calamari, caesar salad, and table bread, the food was delicious and flavorful. After appetizers however, there was easily another half an hour wait for our main entrees, with little service inbetween - no topped off waters or cleaned up dishes. My medium rare rack of lamb came out disappointingly medium well, which given the wait for entrees, I shouldn't have been surprised that it continued to cook while waiting to be served. The salty lamb and vegetables were drenched in dressing, and were better off served either with about half the flavor or on the side. Trying a bite of my wife's undercooked pappardelle, I was again disappointed yet not surprised. Summing it up, this place has a fabulous ambiance but the attention to detail from the wait staff and chef is missing, and left us with a three and a half hour dining experience with mediocre food.

Great experience! We started with fried calamari - perfectly seasoned and crispy. Our entrees…read morewere the ribeye and ny strip - again, well seasoned, prime beef and cooked to perfection (medium, rare). Service was fantastic - the manager, Sherry, was very cordial and great to talk with. We were celebrating our anniversary and she seated us near the beautiful fireplace. Couldn't have had a better experience. Thank you.

Amateur hour in Westwood! And it's all going to cost you a pretty penny…read more An indicator that you are in for a rough evening, is when multiple confused people show up at your table announcing themselves as your server. One proceeded to apologize and tell me "how overwhelmed everyone is because it is Valentines Day." I didn't have the heart to tell him it was actually Friday the 13th and the restaurant was not even close to packed. If that stresses him out he is in the wrong line of work. Furthermore, you don't trouble customers with this sort of thing. BUT, I digress... 2 stars for the photo of Elvis Presley in the movie Flaming Star! I saw that movie in the theaters, 1961! Actually, 1 star for Elvis and another for the water service (more about that later.) We ordered the Octopus and Fried Pickles as app's. The Octopus was loaded with garlic, but otherwise under seasoned and flavorless and was a comically small portion - a "sliver." Loaded with fingerling potatoes though! The fried pickles were about as "good" as something you would get from a bad food truck. Both (over) priced like it was prepared by a Michelin chef (which of course, it was not.) Next up - the Porterhouse for two. Ordered Medium rare and arrived Medium Well, to actually Well done (i.e.. solid GREY) on the Filet side. Because our server considered his job done after our entree's arrived, it was a chore to find him and flag him down to send it back. It took a disproportionate amount of time to bring us a new one, like 40 minutes. We got multiple apologies but no visit from management (which is customary in a place that fancies themselves "high end") and no offers to comp anything to make things right. Finally we get our Medium rare steak which honestly, was chewy and tough. Our server disappeared like a ghost after we got our Porterhouse "re-do" which is too bad because we needed a few things...like salt for the flavorless steak fries. Maybe he was busy? After all, it WAS Valentines Day! One plus - there is an almost OCD-like fascination with filling your water glass! Take one sip and an arm will magically appear next to you to top it off! Give that man a raise! First time/last time - awful.

this place is JUST ok. I didn't even know it was there until I saw it on yelp and decided to check…read moreit out. ambiance is...different. it's recently renovated and everything is in shades of black and white. it lacks the cozy comfy atmosphere of an Italian restaurant. the environment feels a bit sterile. a few of the tables are plastic folding tables covered in table clothes. chairs are mismatched but cleverly covered to make them all look the same. food was just ok. portions were HUGE. i literally carryed a giant bag of leftovers of out the place. i can eat....and i couldn't believe the size of these dishes. drinks were delicious! staff was super friendly but the food came out a bit slow. the experience was overall average and I'm not sure if I would go back.

Update: I came back to Bosfa after our first visit in December, when one entrée issue kept the…read morenight from being perfect. This Saturday visit was excellent. Reservation was ready, we picked our table, and despite brutal cold weather (and door drafts every time someone walked in), service and pacing were great. They even made the seafood salad from my last visit by special request -- octopus, calamari, shrimp, arugula, lightly seasoned, great portion. Entrées were both strong: * Linguini vongole -- clean white broth, great pasta, solid portion * Pork chop with sweet/hot peppers, broccoli rabe, potatoes -- excellent chop, grilled then finished with tomato sauce and peppers (I usually prefer oil-sautéed peppers, but this still worked well) Interesting crowd difference: last time was a Friday bar crowd, this Saturday was a packed dining room and quieter bar. Excellent return visit. We'll definitely be back.

Not my vibe! We got here around 8:30 and was able to be seated for a table for two. We got sat, had…read moreto wait a bit for menus. Waitress finally came over and we ordered the arancini, which was on special. Waitress took the menu to check if that was on there because she seemed confused when I ordered it. The arancini were for sure frozen and refried. Just not good and bland. The bread was the best part tbh but I'm not sure about whatever the dipping sauce was. I'd rather just butter. My bf was disappointed with the cheese raviolis - they were not hearty at all. The chicken parm was okay. I didn't love the red sauce and hate that the penne was drowning in sauce, just not much to break up the flavor of it. There was a guy playing guitar and the overall atmosphere of this place is just not there. Ceiling tiles are dirty, bathroom was dirty and not well maintained. I can see the Restaurant Depot sized box of cannoli shells. If you're craving Italian, go anywhere else.

Overall good experience Clams with white wine sauce was…read moregood Bolognese Chicken parm Breadbasket was also good

This is Roman pizza, not flatbread! There are many different varities of pizza other than boring NJ…read morepizza with Sysco ingredients. Here, the dough is fermented for days and it is made from Italian wheat, rice and spelt flour (like a proper, authentic Pinsa Romana, Google it!) instead of unhealthy bleached, bromated flour found at 75- to 90-percent of most pizza restaurants in North Jersey. The quality of the toppings is also considerably better, which is why Mercato's pizzas are more expensive. Is the extra effort and expense worth it? I think so. I can taste the difference and I appreciate the crunchy exterior, soft inside textures and not feeling bloated after having a few slices like I do when I have a cheaper generic NJ pizza. I also prefer it over Neapolitan style pizza, unless it's pizza from Alta Irpinia (which also ain't cheap but so. Damn. Good.). If you're looking for run of the mill, cheap family feedbag pizza, go elsewhere. But if you can appreciate the finer things, Mercato is a good choice for a genuine, authentic Italian variety of pizza that's very hard to find around here, even in Manhattan too.

Overpriced Small portions…read more Flatbread not pizza Small menu Would have liked a sandwich offering

Did I mention that I love lunches here? Especially on a Friday! It's the perfect way to kick off…read morethe weekend. Head in, relax, enjoy soup, salad, your entrée, a glass of wine (or a few), crusty bread, great service and friendly staff. Wine, dine, relax... then walk out, realize it's Friday afternoon, and the whole holiday weekend is still ahead of you. I brought the whole family today, plus my daughter's boyfriend. Even as the A/C struggled on this ridiculously hot day, it was still cool enough inside to sit back and enjoy lunch. I went with the Chicken Verona because I was in the mood for something fresh and tangy. The artichokes, mushrooms, and lemony sauce were perfect for soaking up with pieces of that crusty bread. Not much was left behind. Great meal, great company... and now here comes the holiday weekend!

I went to Bellissimo for dinner recently and had a nice time. It started out pretty cold and then…read morebecame stuffy and warm - the configuration of the restaurant is a bit strange, but we managed. Our food was pretty good, and the staff was attentive. They don't take reservations for parties with less than 5 people, but luckily we only waited about 5 minutes. The host and hostess tried to accommodate us, which was appreciated.

Saw an ad on social media for takeout Tuesday, 3 courses for 4 people for 50 bucks so figured I'd…read morehave to try it! Was not disappointed at all, first off 50 bucks for 4 people, where can you go and spend 50 bucks for 4 people? I spent 33 bucks at Wendy's the other day for me and my kid. So 50 bucks for 4 people for 3 courses in awesome! We got the ceasar salad, which was good and they gave us plenty of dressing and didn't skimp on the croutons or cheese. Next was rigatoni with oil and garlic and I gotta say I don't know what they did to the roasted garlic but it was amazing, like I was picking all the little pieces out of the pan it was so good. Then we got the sausage and peppers and if that wasn't enough they threw in meatballs with it as well. There was more than enough food for the 4 of us and we are big eaters. The sauce was so good and that fact that we eating at home I could soak up all the sauce in my bread without fear of being stared at by other patrons. We plan on ordering again and plan on going to dine in as well, the place looked newly remodeled and was quite cute inside. 5 out of 5!

I was craving Italian food and Ciao Bella came up as a highly rated spot in the area. There's a lot…read morein the back and I'm not sure if you're supposed to use the back entrance, but I did and I ended up walking through the kitchen which put a smile on my face. I felt a little like Ray Liotta in "Goodfellas". The service was excellent and our waiter rattled off an extensive list of daily specials and they all sounded wonderful. We settled on burrata and a fried vegetable appetizer. The burrata was good but the fried thing was even better. I wish I could remember what it was because it was so good. I guess that's what I get for writing my reviews 2 months later. It was some kind of vegetable stuffed with cheese, battered and fried. It wasn't too oily and all the flavors and textures went well together. For our entrees we went with linguini in clam sauce and cavatelli, broccoli rabe, & sausage. The linguini was a solid plate of pasta. Linguini, clams, sauce. It tasted exactly how you expect it would and the pasta was cooked well. The cavatelli was much more interesting to me. The different textures and flavors really made it a joy to eat. The pasta was al dente while some of the sausage had some crispy bits to it. And the broccoli rabe kind of made me feeling like I was eating somewhat healthy The ambiance was nice if not a little dated. Not bad though, it was cozy. I'd come back, but not too often. It's pricey.

Best place ever for nice dinner outside or inside! Great Italian dishes , steaks, seafood and more…read more! Mendim the owner is wonderful as are Rob, Neb and Jason the manager. You will love it! Great take out dinners too!

Pesto Italian Bistro (Located in Park Ridge Shopping Center)…read more168F Kinderkamack Rd. Park Ridge, NJ 07656 As soon as I entered this bistro, I was impressed with the nicely decorated interior that was adorned with lots of Italian themed wall art. The servers greeted me and made me feel right at home. Throughout the meal, they were very attentive and always refilled my water glass and cleared any excess plates. The CP entree also included complimentary rice balls and a house salad (not pictured), both of which tasted phenomenal. I couldn't say I was completely on par with the main course. The mozzarella cheese did not have a golden char. The cutlet was on the chewier side and something about the breading was off. However, the homemade sauce was the best part of the dish; it was thick and flavorful. Although I can't vouch for this CP, I was satisfied with their service and the other menu items I tried. For this reason, I'll definitely explore their other entrees except for the parm. #pestoitalianbistro #chickenparmreview #njchickenparmratings #parkridgenj